


Crush

by xtremeroswellian



Series: Tainted Love [1]
Category: Smallville
Genre: Chloe's very confused, F/M, Kissing, Making Out, Red Kryptonite, Trust Falls, alternate season 3
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-27
Updated: 2020-04-28
Packaged: 2021-03-01 20:49:40
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 3,039
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23883304
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/xtremeroswellian/pseuds/xtremeroswellian
Summary: He’d heard her coming from a mile away. He recognized the sound of her car, and then when she parked, the sound of her footsteps. He had known that if there was anyone on this particular planet who could track him down, it would be her. But after the way they’d parted, he hadn’t really expected her to come looking for him at all.He couldn’t say he was disappointed that she had.
Relationships: Chlark - Relationship, Chloe Sullivan/Clark Kent, Kal/Chloe Sullivan, Kaloe
Series: Tainted Love [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1721302
Comments: 1
Kudos: 11





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Song is "Crush" by Jennifer Paige.

_It’s just a little crush  
Not like I faint every time we touch  
It’s just some little thing  
Not like everything I do depends on you_

He’d heard her coming from a mile away. He recognized the sound of her car, and then when she parked, the sound of her footsteps. He had known that if there was anyone on this particular planet who could track him down, it would be her. But after the way they’d parted, he hadn’t really expected her to come looking for him at all.

He couldn’t say he was disappointed that she had.

He was leaning in the door frame of his apartment, a smirk on his face as he watched her climb up the stairs, approaching him with an air of wariness that he certainly couldn’t blame her for.

And then she was standing right in front of him, all 5 foot six inches of blonde spitfire and questioning, if not glaring, green eyes. Despite the fact he was nearly a foot taller than she, she wasn’t the least bit intimidated. Of course, if she’d had any idea who he really was...

“So you found me,” he drawled, still leaning on the door frame.

Her eyes narrowed a little more. Talk about stating the obvious. “And I’m here to bring you back.”

Grinning, he stepped back out of the door frame to let her in, amused by her determination. He’d expected nothing less. “You want something to drink?”

Chloe looked at him dubiously. “You’ve been missing for two months after running away from home and all you can ask me is if I want something to drink?”

“Just trying to be a good host, Chloe.” He flashed her a wide smile, more than a little aware of how good she smelled--like Jasmine and coffee. “So what’ll it be? Coffee? Wine? Champagne?” he asked casually.

She stared at him like he’d grown another head.

He simply smiled, waiting for her to respond.

“Who are you?”

Taking a couple steps closer to her to close the distance between them, he gazed into her eyes, his own blue eyes intense. “You really don’t remember?”

Chloe sighed in frustration. “I know who you are, but you’re acting like someone totally different.”

He watched the way her lips moved, was amused by the quirk of her eyebrow, and turned on by the fiery annoyance in her voice. Unable to stop himself, he reached out and slid a hand around her waist, pulling her closer yet, much to her surprise. “Maybe this will remind you.” He leaned down and kissed her.


	2. Chapter 2

The world was spinning.

Pulled flush against Clark Kent, Chloe could only instinctively reach up and grab onto his shoulders for support as his lips devoured her own and--holy God, was that his tongue inside her mouth?

A faint whimper escaped her as one hand gently caressed the back of her neck, the other lingering on her hip possessively.

Grinning against her mouth, he began to walk them backwards toward his black leather sofa, pulling her onto his lap as he sat down.

This was what he remembered most about his last brief encounter with Red-K: the feel of Chloe Sullivan wrapped in his arms. And it felt damn good. Way better than Lana Lang, he thought idly.

Chloe pressed her hands against his chest and pushed herself away from him, her mind whirling. What the hell was going on? She saw him grin at her, his eyes twinkling mischievously. “What the hell was that?” she demanded, quickly sliding off his lap. Her heart was pounding in her chest and her temperature had certainly raised a few degrees.

“Last time I checked it was called making out,” he responded, folding his arms behind his head and leaning back. “And you’re very good at it, Chlo.”

Her eyes narrowed and she glared at him. “Screw you.”

Smirking, he arched an eyebrow. “You can’t honestly say you didn’t enjoy that as much as I did.”

Flustered, she tried to think of a snappy response, but even she wasn’t that good at denial.

He chuckled softly and stood up, slowly approaching her once more. She quickly held up one hand. No way was she going to let him distract her again--at least not before she got some answers.

“Clark, you need to come home.”

He rolled his eyes. “I am home.”

“No, this is not your home,” she said fiercely. “Your home is in Smallville with your parents and everyone else who cares about you!”

“Including you?” he asked in a husky whisper.

She swallowed hard, unable to look away from the depth of his blue eyes. He was testing her and she didn’t know why. She remained silent.

He simply gazed at her, waiting.

“Yes, including me. And Pete. And…Lana Lang.” It pained her to say the name, knowing it would change his attitude instantaneously.

“Oh. Her.” Sighing, he moved past her to get a drink from the kitchen.

“Yes, her. The heartbroken love of your life you just left behind like yesterday’s news.”

Chloe’s choice of words gave him pause, but it was the way she said it that got to him. “He’s an idiot.”

She blinked. “Who’s an idiot?”

“Clark Kent.” Shaking his head, he turned to face her. “For picking her. He’s an idiot.”

Feeling like she was in the Twilight Zone, she shook her head. “Referring to yourself in the third person now, Clark? What the hell is going on with you?”

“Well for starters…my name isn’t Clark.” He smirked at the confused expression on her face. “It’s Kal-El.” He moved closer to her, reaching out and winding his arms around her waist. “And secondly…let’s just say that Lana Lang isn’t the one I want.” Dipping his head, he pressed his lips to hers once more.


	3. Chapter 3

Chloe managed to end this kiss faster than the first because she wasn’t caught off guard as much as she’d been the first time around. Now she had his game plan…or at least the part that involved saying all the right things and kissing her. She quickly pushed herself away from him, backing away to a safer distance and trying to ignore the physical loss she felt. “I don’t even have the words to tell you how not funny this is, Kent,” she said angrily.  
“I wasn’t trying to be funny,” he said with a shrug.

She glared at him, the look that normally made him at least appear chastised. But he simply smirked, gazing right back at her without a single hint of remorse. “No? Then what’s all this crap about you being some guy named Kal-El?” She couldn’t bring herself to mention the rest--that he was pretending he was interested in her and not the pretty pink princess from Smallville with double-L initials.

“It’s my real name,” Clark told her honestly. “The one my biological parents named me.”

Chloe gaped at him. “But…how…Clark, you found your biological parents?” She shook her head, stunned.

“More like…my biological father found me.” Smirking, he headed toward the kitchen again. He grabbed a bottle of water for himself and a bottled ice cappuccino for Chloe, tossing it to her.

She caught it easily, looking at him in surprise.

His eyes twinkling, he smiled at her. “Thought you might find me so I bought some just for you.”

Had it not been for the fact that she was starting to suspect someone had killed the real Clark Kent and taken over his body, she would’ve been touched. “Is that why you left Smallville? Is your real father here?”

He laughed. “Oh, no. My real father’s not anywhere near Metropolis. In fact…he’s not anywhere near this planet.”

Chloe stared at him, holding onto the unopened bottle of caffeine.

Seeing the look on her face, he smiled, leaning back against the wall. “That’s right. I’m not from around here either.”

“So. Your real name is Kal-El and you’re from another planet,” she said slowly.

“Got it in one.” He winked at her and took a drink from his water bottle.

“Yeah. Well. That makes perfect sense…if you’re a lunatic,” she said sarcastically.

Clark chuckled. “I’m not crazy, Chloe. But I’m not human either.”

“Right. Okay.” She glanced behind her toward the door. She wasn’t afraid of him, but she was starting to think she should go call his parents. Or possibly some attendants from Belle Reeve.

“Come on, it’s so obvious. I can’t believe you haven’t connected the pieces.” He shook his head, setting the water bottle down on the counter.

She eyed him silently.

“My uncanny ability to show up at exactly the right place just in the knick of time…the amazing feats you’ve suspected me of doing for the past three years…how secretive I always am.” His cheek dimpled.

Chloe’s heart skipped a beat and she held still, trying to swallow what he was telling her. “So why are you spilling the beans now, Clark?”

He flashed the silver and red ring he was wearing in front of her eyes. “This is from my planet. Let’s just say…it lowers my inhibitions.”

“The meteor rocks,” she murmured, something clicking in her brain.

“Are from Krypton.”

“Which is the name of your home planet.”

He grinned. “Now you’re catching on.”

“Why are you telling me this, Clark?” She shook her head, still not fully buying the story.

He met her gaze, held it. “Because you’re the only one I trust.”

She was silent for a moment. “Clark, I really think you should come back to Smallville with me.”

He sighed. “You still think I’m crazy.”

It wasn’t like she could believably deny that accusation so she didn’t respond.

“You know, there was a time, brief as it was, that you knew I was telling the truth.” He searched her eyes, seeing she truly didn‘t remember. “I’ll prove it to you.”

Chloe arched an eyebrow. “How?”

“Let’s go outside.” He rested a hand on her back and ushered her out onto the fire escape. “Climb onto the rail.”

“What?”

“Just do it.” He smiled, his cheek dimpling again in that adorable way that made her heart ache.

Not really sure why she was listening to him, she climbed onto the rail, then glanced at him over her shoulder. “How’s this prove anything?”

“Let yourself fall.”

Chloe snorted. “Yeah right.”

He tilted his head a bit, gazing at her. “You trusted me enough to do it once before.”

She stared at him, searching his eyes this time. Some tiny part of her knew he wasn’t lying. But that part was clouded by fear.

“Let go, Chloe,” he urged her quietly.

“Clark, we’re three stories up.”

“I’ll catch you,” he told her, not breaking their gaze. “Do you trust me?”

Swallowing hard, the breeze rustling her short blonde hair, she stood completely still for a long moment. Did she trust him?

Chloe closed her eyes, ignoring the sick fear in the pit of her stomach and her brain’s screaming that she was just as crazy as he was. And because her heart trusted him, she leaned backwards, and let herself fall.


	4. Chapter 4

For one second as she began to drop off the fire escape, there was sheer panic.

And then…there was contentment.

She wasn’t sure where it came from and had she had time to really contemplate it during her three story fall to nearly certain death, she would have decided to commit herself to Belle Reeve if she somehow managed to survive.

But the thought never occurred to her at all as she let her eyes shut, imagining she was floating toward the ground like a feather rather than falling like a rock toward the quickly approaching cement sidewalk.

And then, just when there should logically have been blackness and a sickening crunch of bones shattering (not necessarily in that order), her descent was halted abruptly.

Opening her eyes in amazement, she gazed at a grinning Clark Kent. “Told you I’d catch you.”

The weight of what had just happened settled upon her like a choking fog. She’d just thrown herself off a three story building on the off-chance her best friend really was some kind of alien superhero. And he’d actually caught her.

Without warning, Chloe laughed and his grin widened. She had an incredible laugh--not just a small, girlish Lana giggle, but a full, unrestrained, contagious laugh.

That was Chloe--unrestrained. All fire and sass and passion. Unbridled and free.

And he liked that.

He liked that a lot.

* * *

Restless, Chloe didn’t even attempt to sleep that night. It would have been a useless waste of time. She wondered if she’d ever sleep again knowing what she did now.

She watched him as he slept, peaceful, as though nothing frightened him.

Maybe it really didn’t, she mused. After all, what does a seemingly invincible alien superhero have to fear anyway?

He was the same guy she’d fallen in love with in eighth grade and yet, he was different. He wasn’t himself.

This Clark--or Kal-El--as he’d called himself--wanted her, not Lana Lang. This Clark was a risk-taker, a danger-seeker. This Clark was irresponsible, irrational, and the epitome of anti-farm boy.

This was not the Clark she was desperately in love with.

Her gaze drifted to the red ring on his finger. Lowered inhibitions my foot, she thought.

He had no inhibitions.

That red ring had completely obliterated them, along with all common sense--his and hers alike.

Letting out a ragged breath, she thought about all the horrible situations that could play out--what if those lack of inhibitions prompted him to share his secret with the wrong person?

For instance, someone with the last name of Luthor.

Shuddering, Chloe rested her head in her hands for a moment. She would never in a million years tell his secret to anyone, but that didn’t mean someone else wouldn’t.

He had trusted her--twice from what he’d told her earlier, and she trusted him--with her life.

She didn’t, however, trust him with his own.

And she wouldn’t let that responsibility fall on her shoulders. If anything happened to him because of her lack of action..

She didn’t even want to go there.

The decision was made.

Standing, Chloe swallowed hard and climbed into bed with him, her heart thudding rapidly.

He stirred, opening his eyes and flashing her a lazy smile. “Change your mind and decide to join me?”

“How could I not?” she replied, leaning down to kiss him. The feel of his strong body against hers was almost more than she could handle.

Grinning, he eagerly kissed her back, getting lost quickly in the pleasurable experience.

So lost, in fact, he never even noticed when she slipped off his ring.


	5. Chapter 5

It took only a moment for her to notice the change as she slid the ring off his finger and onto her own. He stiffened beneath her and slowly pulled away from the kiss.

Chloe did the same, trying to ignore the physical ache in her heart as he looked at her, something akin to shock on his face.

“Chloe, what…” He scrambled out of bed, fumbling to grab a shirt off the floor.

She remained silent, watching him for a long moment, then dropping her gaze to the red ring on her finger.

He followed her gaze, standing very still. “That’s mine.”

“And obviously you’re not capable of wearing it because it turns you into someone completely different.” She stood, folding her arms across her chest.

There was a moment of tense silence.

“Give it back to me, Chloe,” he said quietly, his eyes pleading.

“I’m sorry, Clark. But I can’t.” He took a step toward her and a short, bitter laugh escaped her. “What are you gonna do? Take it from me by force?”

Clark looked at her, stunned. “Of course not!”

Shaken and confused by her mixed emotions and by everything she now knew, she fought to hold back tears. “What happened to you, Clark? Who are you?”

He swallowed hard, not sure what to say.

She drew in a breath, trying to calm herself. “I’m going back to Smallville. I want you to come back with me.”

“Chloe, I can’t.” His voice was pained.

“Can’t or won’t, Clark?” Her voice was harsher than she’d intended it to be. “Your parents need you. The farm is in trouble. Your parents lost a child, and you took off like a big coward!”

“I don’t wanna hear this, I--”

“I don’t care!” Her voice rose. “Lana’s a wreck, Pete’s worried, and Lex is dead, Clark! You’re needed back in Smallville whether you like it or not. So suck it up and deal because you’re coming back with me.”

Her tone and accusing glare left no room for argument. Closing his eyes briefly, he felt a sad resignation rest upon his shoulders. She was right: he had to go home. No matter how hard it was.

And he knew it was going to be hard.

“What if they don’t want me back?” His voice was barely a whisper.

Her eyes softened at the fear in his voice. “Of course they want you back. They’ve been looking for you since you disappeared.”

He swallowed hard, looking guilty. “Chloe, about what happ--”

“Don’t,” she cut him off, shaking her head.

“We need to talk.”

“Yeah. But not now. We need to get you home, although I have a feeling you could probably get there faster on foot than I can get you there by driving.”

He paled a bit, looking ill. “You can’t tell anyone,” he said, barely audible.

Both insulted and deeply hurt by his belief that she would, weariness settled upon her. “No kidding.”

They stared at each other for a long moment, then she finally broke the gaze by turning away, blinking furiously to rid the tears from her eyes. “Get whatever it is you need to get. I’ll be in the car.” Her voice was flat, distant.

Clark watched her go, holding his breath without even realizing it. Somehow he didn’t think ‘I’m sorry’ was going to fix everything this time.


End file.
